Wireless communication networks such as mobile wireless telephone networks, have become increasingly prevalent over the past decade. These wireless communications networks include, for example, cellular telephone networks. A terrestrial wireless network includes a plurality of interconnected base stations, or base nodes, that are distributed geographically at designated locations throughout the service area. Wireless communication networks such as wireless mesh networks typically comprise a plurality of nodes that collectively define a path from a mobile client to a destination node, or another network node by way of one or more wireless network nodes. In an Ad-hoc wireless network each mobile node is capable of operating as a base station or router for the other mobile nodes, thus eliminating the need for a fixed infrastructure of base stations.
Some types of wireless networks require a greater level of coverage redundancy. For example, public safety networks need to remain functional even when a certain percentage of the infrastructure is disabled. Some other types of wireless networks, for example, commercial networks may desire to minimize redundancy in order to limit capital and operating expenditures. As can be appreciated from the nature of wireless networks such as those discussed above, it is important to measure a level of redundancy in order to accommodate network needs for greater or lower coverage.
Several techniques exist to measure redundancy. One such technique is to measure redundancy in terms of additional devices or radio links, but it does not take into account the varying capacity associated with each node within the wireless network.
Accordingly, there is a need for a method for calculating service redundancy of a wireless network.
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The method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.